Think Beef Wellington is best left to the professionals? Think again.
Golden, glossy pastry wrapped around perfectly cooked beef, with rich mushroom duxelles tucked in between. It looks spectacular on the table and, for many home cooks, spectacularly intimidating.
But that’s exactly why it belongs in Built for the Brave.
This is the kind of recipe that might make you nervous: Will the beef be cooked properly? Will the pastry stay crisp? Will it all hold together?
The answer is simple: be prepared, take your time and don’t be afraid to give it a go.
Beef Wellington
Serves: 4–6
Prep: 40 minutes, plus chilling
Cook: 35–45 minutes
Ingredients
- 750g centre-cut beef fillet
- 500g chestnut mushrooms
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 25g butter
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 8 slices of Parma ham
- 500g ready-made puff pastry
- 1 egg, beaten
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- A little plain flour, for dusting
Method
1. Sear the beef
Take the beef out of the fridge and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat and sear the beef on all sides until deeply browned. This should only take a few minutes.
Remove from the pan, brush all over with Dijon mustard and leave to cool completely.
2. Make the mushroom duxelles
Finely chop the mushrooms, or blitz them briefly in a food processor. Melt the butter in the same pan, add the mushrooms, garlic and thyme and cook over a medium-high heat.
Keep cooking until the mushrooms have released all their moisture and the mixture is dry and concentrated. Don’t rush this step, it’s the secret to crisp pastry. Set aside to cool.
3. Wrap it up
Lay a large sheet of cling film on your work surface and arrange the Parma ham slices slightly overlapping. Spread the cooled mushroom mixture evenly over the ham, then place the beef in the centre.
Use the cling film to tightly roll the ham around the beef. Twist the ends to create a neat, firm parcel and chill for 15–20 minutes.
4. Add the pastry
Dust your work surface with a little flour and roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle large enough to completely enclose the beef.
Remove the beef from the cling film and place it in the centre of the pastry. Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg, then fold it around the beef, sealing the joins firmly. Trim away any excess pastry.
Place seam-side down on a lined baking tray. Brush all over with more beaten egg and, if you like, score a simple pattern into the top.
Chill again for 15–20 minutes while you heat the oven to 200°C fan / 220°C / Gas Mark 7.
5. Bake
Bake for around 35–45 minutes, depending on the size of your fillet and how you like your beef cooked.
For the best result, use a meat thermometer: aim for around 50–52°C for medium-rare before resting.
6. The brave bit
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing.
Then take a breath, cut into that golden pastry and see what you’ve created.
Don’t Aim for Perfect
Your first Wellington might not look exactly like a restaurant version. The pastry might be a little wonky. Your decoration might not be perfect.
Who cares?
The brave bit isn’t getting it flawless first time. It’s deciding to make it in the first place.
And once you’ve conquered Beef Wellington, what else might you be brave enough to try?
Be brave. Get cooking.
